SnowbirdMD

I’m from the good snow of the Rocky Mountains but been living out East for a while and thus out of the game for quite some time. Last board: Burton Custom 7 years ago. Needless to say, could use some recs…
I enjoy riding steep chutes, through the trees, all-mountain type of riding. I don’t do much of the park and only the occasional jumps and slightly more often cliffs.
I’m looking at Lib Tech T Rice, the Never Summer Cobra or the always dependable Burton Custom again (although I’d like to switch it up a bit). I've even considered the Nitro Ultimate. Any opinions amongst these boards? Any others I should seriously consider given my interests?
Also, I’m 5’9” and 150 lbs. I’ve been riding a 157. Seems like many people are converting to smaller boards. I’m thinking this may be worth it given the improved maneuverability, but I don’t want to give up the ease in powder or the speed of longer boards. For my style, should I stick with a 157ish board or go down to 153?
Thanks a lot everyone

Lamps

Maybe a custom X - if you like to charge it might be a nice upgrade from your custom. Will you be riding out east or west?

SnowbirdMD

Thanks Lamps-
I actually hadn't looked much into Custom vs Custom X so going to have to do that. Any reason why X is so much better, making the $100 price jump a rationale one?
I'm purchasing my new board with my focus on riding out West. If I ride out East, I may bring this new board along or even just ride the older one for the less than optimal snow.

DirtyD27

I have no experience on either of these boards though looking at them in comparrison.

Custom:
5 of 10 on feel rating. Middle of the road feel not to soft or stiff. soft enough to butter around and play a bit yet stiff enough to charge and bomb runs to an extent.

It's a directional twin camber board that uses light weight wood core. binding mounts are slightly set back to allow the nose to cut through pow and increase flotation and pop on the tail.

Custom X
7 of 10 on feel rating which gives you a slightly more stiff, responsive board that is more stable at higher speeds as well as better edge hold while carving hard.

The Custom X is loaded w/Burton tech. It's A directional twin camber board with a super light wood core "Dragon fly" core which is composed of 500 independent laminations, each individually oriented within the core, result in superior weight-savings, strength, and energized response. This board also features what they call "Multizone EGD" where they strategically input four separate zones, where the wood grain is perpendicular to the core adjacent to The Channel to improve board strength and edge hold. Additionally their "Squeezebox" tech is the use of soft pliable wood under your feet and a harder more ridged wood and the tip and tail for increased maneuverability and board pop. The boards tip and tail has been tapered in thickness to help reduce swing weight for the spin junkies and finally the board is Pre-broke in at factory so you don't have to do it.

So needless to say if it were me looking at these two boards I definitely say the Custom X is worth the extra $100 bones. That's just my opinion feel free to formulate your own. Burton's web site does a good job of explaining all the tech and the reasoning behind it just gotta do the research brotha! good luck, have fun and ride safe.

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Steezy fo'Sheezy

My rides
2012 NS Legacy 163.
2013 NS Brothers in Arms Cobra 163.

SnowbirdMD

How does the Machete GT stand up when considering these other boards? Looks like it may also fit the profile of what I'm looking for

SnowbirdMD

Alright, after some research into it all I'm left torn between some sweet boards. So...

Lib Tech TRS 154 or 157

Never Summer Cobra 155

Burton Custom X 156

That's it. What do you think would be the best choice?

hktrdr

Custom X definitely has much more tech at not much of a premium (although the effective price difference is a bit more in my experience, as there tend to be bigger discounts on the standard Custom).
However, for the vast majority of riders the Custom is a much better board. The X is just too stiff and too much board for most riding - most riders do not benefit from the extra charging ability of the X but will miss the playfulness and forgiveness of the standard Custom.

hktrdr

Given your expectation of riding plenty of pow in the west, definitely something hybrid like the TRS or Cobra over a pure camber board like the Custom (X).

DirtyD27

Exactly the way I described it. I stated the X was a stiffer board better for higher speed, stability and carving, not buttering. He did not mention that he want a buttery playful board. He said his riding is mostly steep chutes, trees and all mountain. Me personally I totally agree with you on your statement. I like a board that has some butterability, (yea that's a word, lol). I typically like a dead center, middle of the road feel rating. I feel that's stable enough to bomb runs yet flexible enough to play around, but that's my style of riding not his.

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Steezy fo'Sheezy

My rides
2012 NS Legacy 163.
2013 NS Brothers in Arms Cobra 163.

hktrdr

No worries, mate. I do not disagree with you - we do not know enough about the OP's riding style to make a recommendation. However, if he is also considering the TRS and the Cobra, the standard Custom will be a closer match than the Custom X.